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TOBACCO OUTLET BUSINESS
JULY/AUGUST 2012
distributors who had been good to us
when we ran Honeys,” he says. “People
liked the new name and Cindy came
up with the concept of the Mamas.”
Available in honey, vanilla, rum, cherry,
blackberry, chocolate and classic flavors,
Bahama Mamas cigars feature a mild
blend with a silky Indonesian Sumatra
wrapper. The Mamas, all of whom are
employees of the company, travel across
the country to attend events promoting
the brand. “Our phones are always
ringing with people wanting us to do
events,” says Gold, who reports that the
Bahama Mamas’ touring activities range
from pre-Academy Awards parties and
celebrity golf tournaments to retail store
events.
While the brand is known for the
attractiveness of its sales force, Gold
notes that the company’s success is
rooted in a combination of the product,
the name, the packaging and, of course,
the Mamas—who are more than just
pretty faces.“They are all knowledgeable
about our products—these are not just
girls we hire to walk around at trade
shows,” he says. “But the No. 1 thing is
the product. It has to stand on its own.
If you have the quality product then the
name, packaging and marketing lend
themselves to the possibility of a good
brand and growth.”
And Bahama Mamas is on a growth
path. Shortly after Gold rebranded
his Las Vegas airport concession with
the new name he was offered the
opportunity to open a second location in
its baggage claim area.That store, which
opened in November of 2011, has been
well received; the company also operates
a concession at the Riviera Hotel. “Our
main business—about 90 percent of our
business—is selling to distributors, but
the airport and Riviera stores help to
build the brand worldwide,” says Gold.
“People from all over the world come to
Las Vegas. So you get that opportunity
to build your brand.”
Gold, who relocated from Colorado,
is also a big fan of the city’s pro-
business attitude. “Vegas is a fabulous
business community with unbelievable
opportunities for small business,” he
says. “It has no state income tax and
is one of the easiest states in which to
create a corporation, an LLC and so
forth. America is still the best country
in the world in terms of starting a
business and I think Vegas is the best
place in America for that.”
Ultimately, however, it’s product and
service that determine a company’s
success, says Gold. “I believe in making
the best product and offering the best
service,” he says. “Since my days in the
restaurant business, I’ve been telling
employees, ‘I need my customers; they
don’t need me for anything.’ And my
customers’ customers don’t need the
people I sell to; it’s my customers who
need them. Without the people who
purchase from us we are nothing, so I
believe in responding to their needs.
That comes first.”
TOB